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Four killed in accident

SALEM: Four persons, including a seven-year-old boy, were killed and one sustained serious injuries when a Tata Sumo van they were travelling in collided with a lorry near Kakapalayam early on Wednesday.

The police said that Sivaraman Nair (72), a resident of A-8, Pandit's Colony, Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram, and four of his family were on their way to Puttaparthi. When the vehicle was nearing Salem, it collided head-on with a lorry near Thalaiyur in Kakapalayam on the Salem-Sankagiri Main Road.

Mr. Sivaraman Nair, his grandson Aravindan (7) and the car driver, Rajeev (35), were killed on the spot.

Local people rescued his wife Saraswathi (60) and son Manoj (38) and rushed them to Erode Government Hospital. Saraswathi died on the way to the hospital.

Our Thiruvananthapuram Staff Reporter writes

The news of the accident was conveyed to the other members of the family at Kowdiar by Mr. Manoj over phone. The family had left for Puttaparthi in their Tata Sumo van by around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, according to their neighbours. The family left for Puttaparthi with Mr. Manoj, who has come from Dubai on leave.

Mr. Sivaraman Nair, who hails from Anchal in Kollam district, is a retired officer of the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Ms. Saraswathi hails from Karunagapally. Aravindan, son of Manoj, is a second standard student of Arya Central School, Pattom.

Rajeeev hails from Aruvikkara near Thiruvananthapuram. The family members have left for Salem. Besides Mr. Manoj, Mr. Sivarman Nair has two sons, Prem Kumar and Manu, who is based in the U.S.